The use of endoscopic surgical techniques (defined herein to include laparoscopic and arthroscopic) is becoming widely accepted by the medical profession. The utilization of endoscopic surgical procedures has eliminated the need for radical incisions into the fascia and musculature of a patient in order to access a particular internal part of the patient's body. Typically, trocars are inserted into the body to penetrate through to body cavities such as the abdominal cavity. The trocars typically consist of two primary components, the first of which is an elongated piercing instrument, known as an obturator. The trocar assembly also contains a trocar cannula in which the trocar obturator is housed. The trocar cannula remains in the body cavity after the trocar obturator is removed and serves as a pathway to and from the body cavity.
Various types of endoscopic instruments may be inserted through the trocar cannula pathway, including endoscopes, stapling apparatuses, cutting and ligating apparatuses, and the like. As in most surgical procedures, it is frequently necessary to suture various sites within the body which are the subject of an endoscopic surgical procedure. Accordingly, various types of endoscopic sutures and cannula assemblies have been developed to satisfy this need. One particular type of endoscopic suture and cannula assembly is a suture having a loop and knot at a distal end of the suture, wherein the suture material also passes through a cannula. And, the other end of the suture is affixed to the proximal end of the cannula. In order to use the suture loop and cannula assembly in an endoscopic procedure, the loop, is inserted into a body cavity through a trocar cannula. The suture is maneuvered with the cannula and looped about the target surgical area (e.g., a blood vessel) where the suture is to be employed. Next, the proximal end of the cannula is broken off, allowing the cannula to slide freely on the suture. Then, the cannula is manipulated in a way so as to slide the cannula down along the suture, thereby pushing the knot down and tightening the loop until the targeted area is securely sutured. The cannula is then removed through the trocar cannula and the excess suture material is cut and removed by the surgeon.
It is essential that the endoscopic loop and cannula be packaged in such a manner that the loop retains its open configuration during shipping, handling, and, of course, during sterilization procedures. Many conventional sutures tend to have memories due to the nature of the materials from which they are made. A suture loop made from such a suture material, which becomes distorted in its package during sterilization, shipping, handling, etc., will typically tend to retain the distorted shape, possibly making the suture loop and cannula assembly unusable for an endoscopic surgical procedure. In addition, it is important that the endoscopic suture loop and cannula be easily removable from a package in a sterile section of an operating room without damaging the loop and cannula. Although there are existing packages for a suture loop and cannula assembly, these packages have the disadvantages of not allowing the looped cannula to be easily removed from the package, and of not readily retaining the loop in its open position. In addition, since a packaged loop and cannula assembly is typically placed into a plastic overwrap envelope prior to sterilization, it is critical that the plastic overwrap be protected from the cannula to prevent punctures and tears. Once the plastic overwrap is punctured or torn, the sterility of the loop and cannula is compromised and the device must typically be disposed of since it cannot be resterilized in a hospital environment. The packages of the prior art do not provide adequate protection for a plastic overwrap envelope.
What is needed in this art is a package for an endoscopic suture loop and cannula or other endoscopic devices having cannulas, which overcomes these deficiencies.